The growth and spread of blood borne diseases, notably Hepatitis B and the HIV virus, in the United States and throughout the world has reached crisis proportions. Methods must be developed to combat this growth.
Medical use of needles in syringes, IV's and blood withdrawal result in the need for safe disposal of the needles after use. Blood borne pathogens such as Hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS, can contaminate a used needle. When an injection is given, the blood of the recipient is left on the exterior of the needle and can also enter the tip of the needle, sometimes flowing all the way to the syringe, thus infecting all or part of the device. Withdrawal of blood for tests and blood banks involve drawing potentially infected blood into the needle and syringe area.
There are many locations where needles are used: hospitals, nursing care facilities, doctor's offices, ambulances, MASH units, mobile health care units, emergency hospitals, clinics, etc. as well as private home use by diabetics and others requiring injections and IV's.
Other uses of needles such as research and laboratory use, Veterinarian use and tattooing also results in the creation of a potentially infected waste product.
The infected needle products must be disposed of safely so that they do not infect medical personnel or the public and so that they are not reusable and thus able to infect other persons or animals. The infected needle products must be disposed of safely so that they do not infect medical personnel or the public and so that they are not reusable and thus able to infect other persons or animals.
The present systems of disposal involve mandatory use of a special waste canister or "red box" where the used needles are placed awaiting transport to a disposal facility. The facility must incinerate the "red box" so that the needles cannot be reused or re-infect. Sometimes large red plastic bags are used to contain re-capped needles in comprehensive inoculation programs.
Some disposable needle syringes are capable of being broken to avoid re-use, but still remain toxic. Processes exist for crushing, cutting or grinding the needle. However no matter how sophisticated the method is, the needles may still be toxic and thus dangerous.
Risk, liability and insurance is high at all points on the needle's trip to incineration:
At the use site: a puncture could occur during the capping of the used needle after use; accidents are possible when disposing the used needles into the "red box" or bag; and primarily, the used needles are not treated in any way and remain toxic in the canister or bag. The canister is sometimes left unattended in the use site or patient's private home.
In transit: accidents are always possible in transit. Currently private parties that must use needles at home may send them to a waste disposal site in special containers through the US Mail.
At the waste disposal site: handling errors may occur. Incineration must be total to be effective.
All current systems still depend upon proper disposal of the canister by third party disposal companies. There have been several incidents of needles, supposed to be properly handled, turning up on beaches and in other public places. All current systems depend upon ultimately transporting potentially toxic objects possessing the ability to prick the flesh.
What is needed, therefore, is a system for the disposal of needles that overcomes the above mentioned problems. More particularly, the system should be such that the pathogens on needles can be effectively destroyed at the site before transport. The apparatus should be portable, simple and cost effective. The present invention addresses such a need.